In plain English
It used to mean negotiating placements with publishers. Most of it is now conducted through self-service platforms and automated auctions.
The skill moved rather than disappeared. It is now about allocation, creative supply, measurement and knowing which inventory is worth buying at all.
What to know
Buying inventory
Direct or programmatic.
Allocation
Deciding what share goes where.
Now largely automated
Platforms handle execution.
Judgement remains
Which inventory, which creative, which measurement.
Why it matters
The remaining human advantage in media buying is deciding what to test and reading the results honestly. Execution is mostly automated; judgement is not.
Common mistakes
×Spreading budget across too many channels to learn anything.
×Buying inventory with no transparency.
×Changing everything at once, so nothing is attributable.
×No creative supply to feed the buying.
FAQs
Is media buying still a skill?
Yes, though it is now allocation and measurement rather than negotiation.
How many channels should I buy?
Few enough that each gets enough budget to produce learnable results.
WRITTEN BY TARIQ SALLAM
Marketing Consultant. Entrepreneur. Content Creator.
I'm a marketing consultant, entrepreneur and content creator. I help businesses grow through practical marketing, websites, SEO, content and AI.
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